In many associations and institutions, volunteers work with great dedication. In our city, this voluntary work is an indispensable building block, without which many projects in a wide variety of areas would be unthinkable. The volunteer pass is a recognition of volunteer work. It is intended as a small thank you for the many years of help, support and effort of Aachen's volunteers.
Requirements for receiving a volunteer pass
The current voluntary activity must be carried out at an Aachen association or organization.
A commitment of at least 5 years is a prerequisite and must be confirmed by two board members of the organizations and associations in which the commitment was made.
Anyone who can provide proof of 5 years of commitment will receive the Volunteer Pass for a total of 10 years.
Furthermore, people up to and including the age of 25 can apply for the Aachen Volunteer Pass if they can prove that they have been volunteering for at least two years. The duration of the Aachen Volunteer Pass for this group of people is three years.
Anyone who can prove at least 10 years of commitment will receive the pass for life. Anyone who still has a valid volunteer pass that is limited in time will only receive the unlimited pass once the previous volunteer pass has expired. A check will be carried out at this point to determine whether the requirements for an unlimited volunteer pass have been met.
The minimum period does not have to be fulfilled exclusively at a club in Aachen. Time spent with clubs in other municipalities is also counted towards the minimum period, as is time spent with various organizations in Aachen.
Volunteer youth group leaders can also receive the volunteer pass if they have been in possession of a valid youth leader card(JuLeiCa) for at least 4 years. This volunteer pass is then valid for the duration of the JuLeiCa's validity.
Type of activity
The activity must be an unpaid activity, particularly in the following areas:
- activities on the boards of associations and organizations in the social, political, cultural or sporting fields
- work as an exercise and organization manager, trainer or educator, such as a sports coach, choir director, orchestra conductor, examiner for a training course
- Teaching and lecturing as part of vocational training and further training as well as first aid courses
- Assistance and care for elderly, sick or disabled people, such as support services for home care, elderly care or work as a paramedic, first aider or emergency chaplain
- Extracurricular supervision of children and young people (e.g. JuLeiCa holders)
- Support and assistance for initiatives for the unemployed or those not in employment
- Support and guidance for family groups or groups of single parents
- Support for ethnic German immigrants, foreigners or asylum seekers
- Care of inmates
- Support for victims of crime
- Environmental education and observation, animal welfare education and landscape conservation in protected areas and specially protected biotopes
- activities with voluntary fire departments and other aid organizations including THW
Apply for a volunteer pass
Apply for your volunteer pass online. Processing takes between 6-8 weeks from the date of application. For cost reasons, we are required to collect applications and cannot print individual volunteer passes.
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What does the Volunteer Pass offer?
The volunteer pass grants special discounts at municipal facilities, e.g:
- Stadttheater/Musikdirektion: approx. 40 % discount on performances
- Museums: 40% discount on the admission price for the following institutions: Ludwig Forum for International Art, Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum, Couven Museum, International Newspaper Museum, stations on the Route Charlemagne, this applies both to individual admission and to combined tickets for museums/Route Charlemagne.
- when visiting the puppet theater: 40 % discount
- Indoor and outdoor swimming pools: 33 % discount
- City library: Reduced annual fee: 8€
- VHS: between 20 - 50 % discount on specially designated courses and events
- Reduction for courses at the Music School of the City of Aachen
In addition, Aachen businesses and institutions also offer discounts for holders of the Aachen Volunteer Pass.